Flash flooding fears for NSW and Qld as first La Nina event hits

The wild weather battering northern NSW and Queensland is expected to get much worse, with flash flooding, strong winds and king tides expected.

Northern NSW and southeast Queensland has copped a drenching on Saturday, with more wild weather to come in the first major La Nina event of the summer.

About 200mm of rain fell in the Bowraville and Coffs Harbour regions of the NSW North Coast by 2pm on Saturday, and the Bureau of Meteorology has warned the wet weather is only beginning.

Between 100 to 200mm of rain is forecasted to fall each day from Saturday to Monday from the Mid North Coast and into Queensland, with the peak expected on Sunday evening going into Monday morning.

The Gold Coast also received a massive downpour, with 60mm falling in just one hour as a large weather system moved over.

Some residents in the North Coast of NSW were told to prepare to evacuate on Saturday morning as heavy winds and strong rain led to a “major risk” of flash flooding and tidal surges.

Some of the flood waters near Tweed Heads,

However, they were given the all-clear later in the day on Saturday by the SES.

NSW SES media officer Ilana Pender-Rose said the emergency service was “encouraged” by people’s behaviour on Friday night and Saturday.

She said of 150 call-outs overnight, the largest number were requests for sandbags — indicating savvy residents were preparing for the wet days ahead.

“We‘re on the lookout for flash flooding, and river flooding as well,” she said.

The largest number of call-outs were from Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Kempsey.

Some big falls over 100mm in the 24hrs up until 9am today. Rain easing now but predicted to ramp up again tonight and tomorrow.

Posted by Mid North Coast NSW SES on Friday, December 11, 2020

She said the La Nina had mostly brought “a lot of rain” without damaging winds on Friday and Saturday — but gusts of up to 90 km/h were forecast from Sunday evening around Ballina.

Sea waves of up to five metres could also occur when winds pick up, she said.

“With the second system expected (from Sunday evening) we’re asking people to please never drive, walk or ride through flood water,” she said.

The Queensland Emergency Services also said it had not received an excessive number of call-outs, but was holding its breath until the second peak of Sunday evening and Monday morning.

On Saturday afternoon the Bureau of Meteorology said a coastal trough and low pressure system would bring heavy rain from the tropics along with gale-force winds, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf conditions which could lead to coastal erosion.

Severe weather warnings remained in place for NSW and Queensland as heavy rain, wind and seas increase from Sunday around the Sunshine Coast and spread into northeast NSW later on Sunday and into Monday.

A severe weather warning has been issued for NSW and Queensland.

A moderate to major flood warning has been issued for the Bellinger River in NSW, and flood watches are also current for catchments from K‘Gari Fraser Island to the Queensland-NSW Border, and for the Northern Rivers and Mid North regions of NSW.

The BOM also holds concerns for Monday and Tuesday as river levels rise.

Residents at Sawtell, a coastal village near Coffs Harbour, were doorknocked early on Saturday morning and told they may need to move to higher ground with the local surf life saving club open as an evacuation point.

“An evacuation warning is a head’s up for people to possibly evacuate,” Ms Pender-Rose said.

“It’s for six properties in Boronia Street in Sawtell. Our volunteers were out doorknocking very early this morning to warn residents that they might need to leave if the water continues to rise.

“We’re going to continue to monitor the situation and we will issue an evacuation order if necessary.”

The evacuation warning was issued following heavy rainfall, before being withdrawn later on Saturday.

Rain is expected to fall in Queensland throughout the weekend. Picture: Richard Walker